Shaft driven automatically aligned irrigation system

ABSTRACT

On a shaft-driven automatically aligned irrigation system, the system is automatically aligned by the change in the length of the shaft because of misalignment. Therefore upon reversing the direction of the shaft, the shaft automatically shifts from alignment in the forward direction to alignment in the reverse direction.

United States Patent 1 1 Purtell i 1 SHAFT-DRIVEN AUTOMATICALLY ALIGNEDIRRIGATION SYSTEM [76] Inventor: Rufus J. Purtell, PO. Box 1152,

Brownfield, Tex. 79316 [221 Filed: July 3, 1972 {21] Appl. No.: 268,601

52 us. c1 239/212, 137/344, 239/177 51 1m.c1 B05b 3/18, 1305b 15/00 [58]Field of Search 239/212, 213, 177;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,417,766 12/1968 Purtell239/212 X 1451 July 17, 1973 3,590,853 7/1971 Haynes 239/212 X PrimaryExaminer-Robcrt S. Ward, Jr. Atlorney-Charles W. Coffee [57] ABSTRACT Ona shaft-driven automatically aligned irrigation systom, the system isautomatically aligned by the change in the length of the shaft becauseof misalignment, Therefore upon reversing the direction of the shaft,the shaft automatically shifts from alignment in the forward directionto alignment in the reverse direction.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Pa tented July 17, 1973 3,746,258

2 SheetsSheet 1 Patented July 17, 1973 3,746,258

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 SHAFT-DRIVEN AUTOMATICALLY ALIGNED IRRIGATION SYSTEMBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This inventionrelates to agricultural irrigation and, more particularly, to aligning ashaft-driven vehicle system moving agricultural irrigation sprinklerpipe.

2. Description of the Prior Art I have previously been issued a patententitled AU- TOMATIC ALIGNMENT OF IRRIGATION SYS- TEM, U.S. Pat. No.3,417,766. That patent discloses an embodiment in FIGS. 8 and 9, whichis commercially on the market.

This embodiment which is commercially on the market uses the length ofthe shaft to detect misalignment. When misalignment is detected, thediameter of the adjustable diameter drive pulleys are adjustedaccordingly to increase or decrease the speed of the vehicles. In thepatent and on the commercial system, there is a reversing crank 122 andit is necessary to manually reverse the reversing crank at each vehicleeach time the system is changed from either forward drive or reversedrive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 1. New and Different Function I have solved theproblem of manually reversing the reversing crank by providing a shaftreverser to automatically accomplish the same purpose as wasaccomplished by the crank. I have accomplished this by placing a helicalelement or nut upon one segment of the shaft and a stud upon the otherelement of the shaft. When the shaft is reversed, the stud assumes a newposition with respect to the nut, thus positioning it for the correctposition for forward movement or reverse movement.

2. Objects of this Invention An object of this invention is to maintainan irrigation system in alignment in either forward or reverse movement.

Another object is to change from forward to reverse movement.

Other objects are to achieve the above with a device that is sturdy,compact, durable, lightweight, simple, safe, efficient, and reliable,yet inexpensive and easy to manufacture, install, operate, and maintain.

Further objects are to achieve the above with a method that is rapid,efficient, and inexpensive, and does not require skilled people toinstall, adjust, operate, and maintain.

The specific nature of the invention, as well as other objects, uses,and advantages thereof, will clearly appear from the followingdescription and from the accompanying drawing, the different views ofwhich are not to the same scale.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a schematic top plan view ofa system in which my invention is incorporated.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the shaft with the shaft rotatingin the forward direction with some parts broken away and in section forclarity.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the shaft with parts broken awayand in section for clarity showing my invention with the shaft rotatingin the reverse direction.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the helical element and stud according tothis invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring more particularly toFIG. 1 of the drawing, it may be seen the complete system accordingto-this invention. Elongated pipe 10 is adapted to carry sprinklersthereon as is well known in the art. The pipe includes detachable means(not shown for clarity) by which it is attached to main pipe or headerpipe 12. In this situation the main pipe 12 is a supply of water underpressure to the moving pipe 10 and header pipe 12 could be consideredmeans attached to the pipe for supplying water under pressure to themoving pipe 10 and header pipe 12 could be considered means attached tothe pipe for supplying water under pressure.

Plurality of vehicles 14 movingly support the pipe. The vehicles aredriven by drive shaft 16. The drive shaft 16 is connected to thevehicles 14 so if the drive shaft is rotated in forward rotation, arrowalpha, the system will have a forward movement as seen by arrow A. Ifthe drive shaft is driven in a reverse rotation, arrow rho, the systemwill have an opposite or reverse movement, arrow R. Motor 18 shownschematically in the drawings on one of the vehicles 14 is means forrotating the shaft 16 in either a forward or reverse rotation. Belt 20is a portion of drive means on each of the vehicles 14 for driving thevehicle responsive to rotation of the drive shaft 16.

The drive shaft 16 will form a means for measuring the curve of the pipeas more particularly described in my US. Pat. No. 3,417,766. In anexaggerated position as illustrated in FIG. 1, the shaft 16 will becomestretched at forward point F which will mean tie bolts 22 will pullagainst plate 24 and pull fingers 26 so as to pull right half 28 of thesheave open against pressure of spring 30. Therefore, the belt 20 willbe operating on a smaller diameter of the sheave halves 28 and 32 thanotherwise. Thus, the vehicles along the forward point F are drivenslower. The plates 24 and the fingers 26 are pulled when the irrigationsystem is moving in a forward direction.

If the shaft 16 is rotating in the reverse direction, arrow rho as seenin FIG. 3, the system moves in the reverse direction, arrow R in FIG. I.Then point F will be a following point. The fingers 26 are being pushedby the tie bolts 22 through the plate 24 so they are pushing against anelement of the two halves 28 and 32 of the pulley so the halves of thepulley are closed together and therefore, the speed of the belt 20increases to make the following point F move faster to become alignedagain.

The explanation of the mechanism shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is moreparticularly shown and described in my prior patent, but this review isgiven for the understanding of this application.

Referring now to FIG. 4, helical element or nut 34 is attached as bywelding at 36 to segment 38 of the shaft 16. Also, stud portion 40 ofsegment 42 of the shaft 16 is threaded into the nut or helical element34. Therefore, if the shaft 16 is rotating in the forward rotationalpha, pin 44 will be resting against shoulder 46 which is thetermination of helical slot 48 in the nut or helical element 34. The pin44 extends diametrically through the stud 40.

Thus it may be seen that rotation is transmitted from the segment 42 ofthe shaft 16 through the nut 34 to the segment 38 of the shaft 16. Also,in the forward rotational direction alpha", the shaft is short. If theshaft 16 is reversed and rotated in reverse direction rho (not shown inFIG. 4), the stud 40 will screw out of the nut 34 and the shaft 16 willbe long. To express this another way, the pin 44 will move away from theshoulder 46 and move through the helical slot 48 to rest againstshoulder 52, a position as more fully seen in FIG. 3.

Describing the helical element 34 in more detail, helical groove 50 isdiametrically opposed to each portion of the slot 48. This helicalgroove terminates with the shoulder 52. The pin 44 rests upon a shoulderat the ter mination of slot 48 and a shoulder at the termination ofgroove 50 in either of the extreme positions which the rotation of theshaft 16 may carry it.

To remove the diametrical pin 44 in the stud 40, l have found itdesirable to provide hole 54 in helical element 34.'The pin 44 can beinstalled without the use of hole 54. The pin 44 is removed by drivingthe pin out with a punch through the hole 54.

Those skilled in the art will understand that a threaded stud and aconventional threaded nut could be used instead of the particularhelical element 34 and pin stud 40 as illustrated. However, it will beunderstood that the system operates in one direction for several dayswith water and dust before it is reversed. Therefore, I prefer to usethe particular helical element and stud as illustrated so it has a free,definite, certain movement despite sediments and corrosion caused bybeing constantly drenched by water. The elements are preferably made ofstainless steel.

Thus it may be seen that when the direction of rotation of the shaft 16is reversed to drive the system in an opposite direction, the shaftautomatically changes length so the alignment mechanism operatesproperly for that direction of travel.

The embodiment shown and described above is only exemplary. I do notclaim to have invented all the parts, elements or steps described.Various modifications can be made in the construction, material,arrangement, and operation, and still be within the scope of myinvention. The limits of the invention and the bounds of the patentprotection are measured by and defined in the following claims. Therestrictive description and drawing of the specific example do not pointout what an infringement of this patent would be, but are to enable thereader to make and use the invention.

' I claim as my invention:

1. In an agricultural irrigation system having a. an elongated pipeadapted to carry sprinklers thereon,

b. means attached to the pipe for supplying water under pressure to thepipe,

c. a plurality of vehicles movingly supporting the pipe,

d. a drive shaft extending along the pipe,

e. means attached to the drive shaft for rotating same in either aforward or reverse direction,

f. drive means on each vehicle attached to the drive shaft for drivingthe vehicles responsive to rotation of the drive shaft,

g. the drive shaft rotating in a forward rotation to drive the system ina forward direction and h. said drive shaft rotating in a reverserotation to drive the system in a reverse direction,

j. said drive shaft being means for measuring the curve of the pipe, and

k. means for realigning a vehicle which is out of line responsive to thechange of the length of the drive shaft,

m. said realigning means utilizing elements which ar pulled when theirrigation system is moving in a forward direction and pushed when theirrigation system is moving in the reverse direction;

n. The improved structure for changing directions comprising:

0. said shaft including two segments between each vehicle,

p. one of said segments carrying a nut, the other carrying a stud,

q. said stud threaded in the nut, and

r. said stud screwing into and out of the nut responsive to changingfrom one direction of rotation to the other and back.

2. In an agricultural irrigation system having a. an elongated pipeadapted to carry sprinklers thereon,

b. means attached to the pipe for supplying water under pressure to thepipe,

c. a plurality of vehicles movingly supporting the d. a drive shaftextending along the pipe,

e. means'attached to the drive shaft for rotating same in either aforward or reverse direction,

f. drive means on each vehicle attached to the drive shaft for drivingthe vehicles responsive to rotation of the drive shaft,

g. the drive shaft rotating in a forward rotation to drive the system ina forward direction and h. said drive shaft rotating in a reverserotation to drive the system in a reverse direction,

3'. said drive shaft being means for measuring the curve of the pipe,and

k. means for realigning a vehicle which is out of line responsive to thechange of the length of the drive shaft,

m. said realigning means utilizing elements which are pulled when theirrigation system is moving in a forward direction and pushed when theirrigation system is moving in the reverse direction;

n. The improved method of operation comprising:

0. changing the length of the drive shaft responsive to the change fromone direction of rotation to the other.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein changing the length ofthe shaft is by screwing a stud into a nut.

* i t i t

1. In an agricultural irrigation system having a. an elongated pipeadapted to carry sprinklers thereon, b. means attached to the pipe forsupplying water under pressure to the pipe, c. a plurality of vehiclesmovingly supporting the pipe, d. a drive shaft extending along the pipe,e. means attached to the drive shaft for rotating same in either aforward or reverse direction, f. drive means on each vehicle attached tothe drive shaft for driving the vehicles responsive to rotation of thedrive shaft, g. the drive shaft rotating in a forward rotation to drivethe system in a forward direction and h. said drive shaft rotating in areverse rotation to drive the system in a reverse direction, j. saiddrive shaft being means for measuring the curve of the pipe, and k.means for realigning a vehicle which is out of line responsive to thechange of the length of the drive shaft, m. said realigning meansutilizing elements which are pulled when the irrigation system is movingin a forward direction and pushed when the irrigation system is movingin the reverse direction; n. The improved structure for changingdirections comprising: o. said shaft including two segments between eachvehicle, p. one of said segments carrying a nut, the other carrying astud, q. said stud threaded in the nut, and r. said stud screwing intoand out of the nut responsive to changing from one direction of rotationto the other and back.
 2. In an agricultural irrigation system having a.an elongated pipe adapted to carry sprinklers thereon, b. means attachedto the pipe for supplying water under pressure to the pipe, c. aplurality of vehicles movingly supporting the pipe, d. a drive shaftextending along the pipe, e. means attached to the drive shaft forrotating same in either a forward or reverse direction, f. drive meanson each vehicle attached to the drive shaft for driving the vehiclesresponsive to rotation of the drive shaft, g. the drive shaft rotatingin a forward rotation to drive the system in a forward direction and h.said drive shaft rotating in a reverse rotation to drive the system in areverse direction, j. said drive shaft being means for measuring thecurve of the pipe, and k. means for realigning a vehicle which is out ofline responsive to the change of the length of the drive shaft, m. saidrealigning means utilizing elements which are pulled when the irrigationsystem is moving in a forward direction and pushed when the irrigationsystem is moving in the reverse direction; n. The improved method ofoperation comprising: o. changing the length of the drive shaftresponsive to the change from one direction of rotation to the other. 3.The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein changing the length of theshaft is by screwing a stud into a nut.